thoughts and ruminations while in exile (1 Pet. 2:11)

"I was dead, you said 'Live,' now you're teaching me to love you for who you are and not just what you give"-- shai linne

For many years I thought I understood the gospel. About two years ago though, even though I was a Christian, I realized that I was nothing more than a God-belittling idolater with respect to the gospel.

This caused me to repent, and unfortunately, I still find myself needing to repent of this egregious sin. You see, for many years I failed to view the gospel as God's gift of Himself. To my own shame, I failed to see the God-centeredness of the gospel. The rampant narcissism of our culture unfortunately affects the way I read, understand, and interpret the Bible.

For instance, I would say I understood God's grace; it is God's unmerited favor. Of course I wouldn't say I deserved God's grace, but then the American, democratic society in which I live causes me to think that God is unfair if He doesn't dispense His grace the way I think He should. For a long, long time I failed to see that God is by no means obliged to give equally that which He is not obliged to give at all.

Obviously something needed to change in my thinking. If change was going to come, however, it would have to come from outside of me. I can't change myself. Change does not originate in me. Sure, I am free to do what I want. But contrary to what most people think, I am not free to do as I ought. God must change me.

My mind was drawn to these thoughts again while reading John Piper's book Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die. In the book, the 22nd reason is: To bring us to God. His words once again touch my heart and allow me to see the great truth that God's preeminant love for Himself is what makes the gospel so glorious. As John Piper says, God is the One Being in the world for whom self-exaltation is the most loving act. How can that be?

In glorifying Himself, God showcases His love for us because by beholding and delighting in that glory we find our greatest treasure and joy.

Jonathan Edwards put it like this: "The happiness of the creature consists in rejoicing in God, by which also God is magnified and exalted."

As this truth has gripped and transformed my life, I'm praying it would do the same for you.

Here is a little bit of what he says in this chapter:

But what is the ultimate good in the good news? It all ends in one thing: God himself. All the words of the gospel lead to him, or they are not gospel. For example, salvation is not good news if it only saves from hell and not for God. Forgiveness is not good news if it only gives relief from guilt and doesn't open the way to God. Justification is not good news if it only makes us legally acceptable to God but doesn't bring fellowship with God. Redemption is not good news if it only liberates us from bondage but doesn't bring us to God. Adoption is not good news if it only puts us in the Father's family but not in his arms.

[God] created us in such a way that his glory is displayed through our joy in it. The gospel of Christ is the good news that at the cost of his Son's life, God has done everything necessary to enthrall us with what will make us eternally and ever-increasingly happy, namely, himself.

"For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another"( Isaiah 48:11).